Vehicle lighting systems

ABSTRACT

Pivotal headlamps are connected to a vehicle suspension system to cause the lamp beams to move to illuminate a curve in a road and a mechanical or hydraulic system is operated by the vehicle suspension to ensure that the beams remain in the same plane despite pitching movements of the vehicle.

United States Patent Fleury [54] VEHICLE LIGHTING SYSTEMS [72] Inventor:Jacques Fleury, Paris, France [73] Assignee: Societe Anonyme AutomobilesCitroen,

Paris, France [22] Filed: Feb. 11, 1969 [21] Appl,No.: 798,332

[52] US. Cl. ..240/8.25, 240/7.1 L1 [51] Int. Cl. ..B60q 1/10, B60q 1/12 [58] FieldoISearch ..240/7.l,7.l XR,62 I-1, 8. 25

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,948,264 2/1934 I-Ioag..240/8.25 2,557,590 6/1951 Beckermann et al. .....240/62.2 X 3,522,4238/1970 I-Ienry-Biabaud; ..240/8.25 1,61 1,883 12/1926 Calkins ..240/8.25

[ Feb. 15, 1972 3,316,397 4/1967 Yssel ..240/7.1

3,402,287 9/1968 I-Iindman ....240/7.1

3,415,983 12/1968 McGee ..240/8.25

1,524,443 l/ 1925 McVey et al. ..240/8.25

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 153,992 3/1967 Canada"; ..240/7.1

280,846 4/1966 Australia...

Primary ExaminerSamuel S. Matthews Assistant Examiner-Russell E. Adams,Jr. Attorney-Amold Robinson [57] ABSTRACT Pivotal headlamps areconnected to a vehicle suspension system to cause the lamp beams to moveto illuminate a curve in a road and a mechanical or hydraulic system isoperated by the vehicle suspension to ensure that the beams remain inthe same plane despite pitching movements of the vehicle.

10 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures VEHICLE LIGHTING SYSTEMS BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION 1. Field of the Invention.

This invention relates to vehicle lighting systems.

2. Description of the Prior Art.

It has been proposed to provide long-range headlamps mounted so as to beable to pivot in relation to the chassis or bodywork of the vehicle,these lamps being linked to the steering mechanism in such a way thatthey pivot in whichever way the steerable wheels are turned. The pivotangle of the lamps is generally greater-than that through which thewheels are turned and increases more rapidly at the commencement than atthe end of the change of direction.

On a curve, these lamps illuminate the road bend, that is to say thecurved stretch of road the vehicle is actually about to cover. Thedriver of the vehicle generally brakes before the bend, however, andthen accelerates therein. This braking and acceleration cause thedynamic loading to change and the vehicle to pitch; during braking, thefront of the vehicle drops and the rear rises, these movements beingreversed during acceleration. The rise and fall of the front and rear ofthe vehicle result in an appreciable change in the angle between theoptical axes of the lamps and the horizontal. Now, the long-range lampshave a highly concentrated beam, to enable them to carry a sufficientdistance ahead. This means that pivoting the lamps in synchronism withthe steering is not in itself sufficient to ensure the best possibleilluminationof the bend, this being illuminated too low down at thestart of the curve and too high later. 7

An object of the present invention is a vehicle fitted with pivotallamps in which this difficulty is overcome, so that, when the vehicle issteered into a bend, the lamps light up the useful portion thereof.Once-the throw of the beams from the lamps is kept constant, whether thevehicle is accelerating, running at constant speed or being braked, thelamps, as they pivot during the negotiation of a bend, will illuminatethis adequately.

In one'particular embodiment, the lamps are linked to the front and rearaxles in a manner calculated. to cause them to pivot about the saidsubstantially horizontal axis extending transversely of the vehicle, sothat their optical axes are lowered with respect to the chassis when therear of the vehicle drops and, conversely, are raised with respect tothe chassis when the front of the vehicledrops, and vice versa.

In this way, when the longitudinal dynamic loading varies, the chassisbecomes inclined to the horizontal. One part of the vehicle, front orrear, drops while-the other rises, but the effect of the means providedisto .keep the range of the. lamps substantially constant.

In one advantageous embodiment, the vehicle is fitted not only withlong-range lamps, but also with lamps for mediumdistance orshort-distance illumination, each of these being linked, like thelong-range lamps, to mechanisms such as already referred to, but whichcause them to pivot, in synchronism with the steering, through an anglewhich differs from and is in general smaller than that'through which thelong-range lamps pivot.

The lamps for medium-distance or short-distance illumination may benormal-type headlamps such as regulation twofilament lamps, orspecialregulation-type lamps that can be corrected by conventional meansto provide medium-distance illumination.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS DESCRIPTION or THEPREFERREDEMBODIMENTS In the embodiment shown in FIG. I, the vehicle has tworegulation two-filament lamps l, which are fixed, and two long-rangelamps 2.

Each of the lamps 2 is fixed to a spindle the axis of which is indicatedat 3, which lies in a substantially vertical plane extendinglongitudinally of the vehicle and at the same time intersecting an axialplane of the lamp. The top of the spindle 3 is mounted by aball-and-socket joint 4a, on the vehicle chassis or other part of thevehicle structure 5. The bottom end of the spindle 3 is connected by theball joint 41) to a short rod 6, which can slide in relation to thechassis, parallel to the foreand-aft line of the vehicle.

Each of the rods 6 is connected at one end, the front end in the case ofone lamp and the rear end in the case of the other, to a piston 7, whichslides in a cylinder 8 filled with liquid. The two cylinders 8 areinterconnected by a pipe 9, so that the rods 6 always move in the samedirection and through the same distance, the pivot spindles 3 thusremaining parallel. A restoring spring 10 connects one of the rods 6 tothe chassis. its action being to move the rod in a direction such thatits piston is driven into the corresponding cylinder.

The front wheels I] are mounted on the ends of arms 12, fitted to, andsecured against rotation in relation to, an antiroll torsion bar 13,which has freedom to turn in brackets 14 (broken lines), carried by thechassis 5.

Keyed to the mid portion of the antiroll bar 13 of the front axle is anarm 19, to the free end of which is fixed one end of resilient bar 20,the other end of which is keyed to the chassis 5.

Another'arm 21 keyed to the bar 20, is linked to a piston 22, whichslides within a liquid-filled cylinder 23. This cylinder 23 communicatesthrough a pipe 24 with a second cylinder 25, the piston 26 of which isconnected to one of the rods 6.

It will be apparent, therefore, that when, for example, the loading onthe front of the vehicle is increased, the torsion bar 13 will pivot inits brackets 14, carrying with it the arm l9, which in turn will causethe bar 20 and hence also'the arm 21 to turn. The piston 22 is thereupondriven into its cylinder 23. so that the piston 26 is moved outwardsfrom its cylinder 25, carrying with it the rod 6 to which itisconnected, and thereby altering the tilt of the spindle 3 connected tothat rod, the interaction being such that the optical axis of thecorresponding lamp is raised. Because of the interconnection of the tworods 6 by the cylinders8ad the pipe 9, the optical axis of the otherlamp will also rise to the same extent. v

The action is reversed if the loading on the front of the vehicle isreduced, the optical axes of both lamps being then tilted forward. I

Similarly, the antiroll bar 17 of the rear axle carries at its center anarm' 27, to' the end of which is fixed one end of a resilient bar 28,the other end of which is keyed to the chassis 5. An arm 29, keyed tothe bar 28, is linked to a piston 30 slidable in a liquid-filledcylinder 31. Contrary, however, to

the action at the front of the vehicle, the mode of assembly is such"that when the bar 17 is turned because of an increase in the loadingonthe rear of the vehicle, the piston 30 is moved outwards from itscylinder 31, which communicates through a the vehicle will result intilting the optical axes of the lamps 2 forward, while a reduction inthe loading will raise them.

The various resilient bars have the same characteristics and thecylinders 23 and 31 are of equal volumetric capacity, so that equalvariation in the static loads on the front and rear of the vehicle willmake no difference to the position of the piston 26 and hence to thetilt of the lamps 2'.

On the other hand, any variation in the longitudinal dynamic loadingwill alter the tilt of the lamps. For example, should the vehicleaccelerate, its front will rise and its rear will drop,

the optical axis of the lamps 2 being tilted forward in relation to thechassis; and conversely, should the vehicle be braked, the optical axesof the lamps will be raised in relation to the body of the vehicle; andthey will illuminate over the same distance over the ground in bothcases.

A short horizontal rod 33, is keyed to each-of the lamp spindles 3. Thefree ends of both these rods 33 are pivoted to a single rod 34, linkedto the steering rod system and acted upon by restoring spring 35. As thesteering action is applied to the wheels 11, therefore, the spindles 3will be pivoted in the same direction.

The method of linking the rod 34 to the steering rod system isimmaterial, the rod may be connected, for example, to the steeringrepeater level, but it should preferably be such that some conventionalmechanism ensures that the pivot angle of the lamps 2 is greater thanthe angle through which the wheels are turned and that this pivot angleincreases more rapidly at the commencement than at the end of the changeof direction of the wheels.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the regulation headlamps 1, insteadof being fixed, tilt in vertical longitudinal planes according tovariations in dynamic loading and the linkage between the axles and thevarious lamps is not hydraulic, but mechanical.

The spindle 3 about which each of the long-range lamps 2 pivots iscarried by a frame 37, to which the corresponding regulation headlamp lis fixed. The frame 37 is arranged to turn, in relation to the chassis5, about a horizontal spindle 38, which is the same for both frames andis at right angles to the vertical fore-and-aft midplane of the vehicle.

In addition, each of the arms 21 and 29 is connected by the cable 39 or40, slidable in a respective sheath 41 or 42, to one end of a floatingrocking lever 43. One end ofa short rod 44, is pivoted to this rockinglever 43 at an intermediate point in the length of the latter, while itsother end is articulated to an arm 45, keyed to one end of a horizontaltransverse rod 46. This arm is connected by the rod 47 to one of theframes 37. The other end of the rod 46 also carries an arm 45, connectedby a rod 47 to the second frame.

It will be seen that, as in the example previously described, a changein dynamic loading will result in the lamps 2 being pivoted about atransverse axis, but here the regulation headlamps pivot simultaneously.

Provision is also made for a damper 48, which acts on the arm 45 throughthe rod 49 and prevents the rapid and irregular rising and falling ofthe front and rear of the vehicle due to the nature of the road surfacefrom causing undue movement ofthe lamps l and 2.

This damper may be of conventional design, with two chambers closedexternally by a diaphragm and intercommunicating through a constrictedpassage, the center of both diaphragms being fixed to a rod which passesthrough the damper and is fixed to the rod 49 so as to follow itstranslational motion.

In addition, each of the arms 33 keyed to one of the spindles 3 isconnected by a cable 50, slidable in the sheath 51, to a steeringrepeater lever 52 situated on the same side as the said arm. This lever52, which is mounted so as to be free to turn about the pivot 53 inrelation to the chassis, is connected in the conventional way by a rod54, to the steering rack 55. Thus, the steering applied to the frontwheels 11 will cause the long-range lamps 2 to pivot about theirspindles 3.

In the modification shown in FIG. 3, each of the regulationtypecombination lamps l is mounted to pivot on the frame 37 about a spindle56. This spindle 56 is rigidly attached to the arm 57, which isconnected to the steering repeater lever 52 by a cable 58 slidable in asheath 59. In the embodiment shown, the point of attachment of the cable58 to the lever 52 is nearer to the pivot 53 of the lever than the pointof attachment of the cable 50.

Hence, when steering is applied to the wheels, the lamps 1 will pivotabout their spindle 56, but their pivot angle will be smaller than thatof the long-range lamps 2.

The invention should naturally not be regarded as limited to thepractical embodiment here described and illustrated, but on the contrarycovers all modification thereof. Thus, in particular, the vertical planein which a spindle 3 has freedom to move might not be truly vertical,but might be at an angle of up to to the vertical.

lclaim:

I. In a vehicle a pair of road wheels, a steering system controllingsaid pair of road wheels, a first pair of headlamps, and a vehiclestructure, the improvement comprising first means for mounting each lampwhich include a first support pivotally mounted to the chassis of thevehicle at one end of a vertical axis through the lamp to tilt said axisrelative to said vehicle by moving the second end of the axis in a planesubstantially vertical and parallel to the longitudinal axis of thevehicle, and a second support mounted on said first support on which thelamp can rotate in a horizontal direction on said vertical axis, secondmeans operated by said steering system for rotating each of saidheadlamps about said axis in the direction in which said steering systemacts to orientate said road wheels, and third means responsive to theangle of pitch of the vehicle body for tilting the axis of each lamp ina plane substantially vertical and parallel to the longitudinal axis ofthe vehicle whereby the longitudinal axis of the beam of each headlampis kept substantially constantly in a predetermined plane irrespectiveof any pitching motion of the vehicle.

2. In a vehicle according to claim I, a second pair of lamps forilluminating an area closer to the vehicle than the area to beilluminated by the first said pair of lamps, each of said second pair oflamps being carried by said first means on a pivotally mounted supportmounted to the chassis of the vehicle at one end of the vertical axisthrough the lamp to tilt said axis relative to a horizontal axisextending transversely of the vehicle, by moving the second end of theaxis in a plane sub stantially vertical and parallel to the longitudinalaxis of the vehicle, whereby the longitudinal axis of the beam of eachheadlamp is kept substantially constantly in a predetermined planeirrespective of any pitching motion of the vehicle.

3. In a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the supports are furtherprovided with other supports on which each lamp can rotate in ahorizontal direction on said axis and means connecting the lamps of thesecond pair ofthe steering system, said connecting means serving torotate the lamps in the direction in which said steering system acts toorientate the road wheels through an angle differing from the rotationalangle of the first pair oflamps.

4. In a vehicle according to claim 1, in which said first support ofsaid first means include, a first ball joint mounting one lamp of saidfirst pair of lamps at the top of said lamp, a second ball jointmounting the other lamp of said pair oflamps at the top of said lamp,first and second control rods, a third ball joint mounting the one lampon the first control rod at the bottom of the lamp, and a fourthballjoint mounting the other lamp on the second control rod at thebottom of the lamp, said first and said second control rods beingmovable by said third means in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehiclewhereby to vary the orientation of the lamps.

5. In a vehicle according to claim 1, which includes a second pair ofhead-lamps and in which said first means comprise a support frame meanscarrying one lamp of each pair, said frame means being pivotally mountedto the chassis of the vehicle at one end ofa vertical axis through atleast one lamp,

to tilt the axis of both lamps relative to said support by moving thesecond end of the axis of the lamps in a plane substantially verticaland parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, said frame meansincluding at least one second support mounted thereon which can rotateat least one lamp.

6. In a vertical according to claim 5,

a spindle,

both said frames being mounted to pivot about said spindle.

7. A vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the lamps mounted to rotatein the frames are the lamps of the second pair is fixed to thecorresponding frame.

8. A vehicle according to claim 5, wherein both of said frame means arefurther adapted to rotate the lamps situated on the same side of thevehicle.

9. A vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the lamps of the second pairinclude double filament bulbs.

10. in a vehicle according to claim 1, in which said third means includea torsion bar interconnecting said road wheels, and a member secured toand extending radially from the torsion bar, said member being angularlymovable to actuate said third means. 5

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent 3,643,082Dated February 15 1972 Jac ues Fleur Inventor(s) q y It is certifiedthat error appears in the above-identified patent and that said LettersPatent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 4, line 64 (line 1 of claim 6) delete "vertical" and insert-vehicle.

Column 4, line 68 (line 2 of claim 7) before "second" insert -first pairand each of the lamps of the-.

On the cover sheet insert Claims priority, application France .lcbruary16 1968 3462 Signed and sealed this 12th day of September 1972.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR. ROBERT GOTTSCHALK Attesting Officer Commissionerof Patents F ORM PO-105O (10-69) USCOMM-DC 60376-P69 us, GOVERNMENTPRINTING OFFICE: I969 O366-334

1. In a vehicle a pair of road wheels, a steering system controllingsaid pair of road wheels, a first pair of headlamps, and a vehiclestructure, the improvement comprising first means for mounting each lampwhich include a first support pivotally mounted to the chassis of thevehicle at one end of a vertical axis through the lamp to tilt said axisrelative to said vehicle by moving the second end of the axis in a planesubstantially vertical and parallel to the longitudinal axis of thevehicle, and a second support mounted on said first support on which thelamp can rotate in a horizontal direction on said vertical axis, secondmeans operated by said steering system for rotating each of saidheadlamps about said axis in the direction in which said steering systemacts to orientate said road wheels, and third means responsive to theangle of pitch of the vehicle body for tilting the axis of each lamp ina plane substantially vertical and parallel to the longitudinal axis ofthe vehicle whereby the longitudinal axis of the beam of each headlampis kept substantially constantly in a predetermined plane irrespectiveof any pitching motion of the vehicle.
 2. In a vehicle according toclaim 1, a second pair of lamps for illuminating an area closer to thevehicle than the area to be illuminated by the first said pair of lamps,each of said second pair of lamps being carried by said first means on apivotally mounted support mounted to the chassis of the vehicle at oneend of the vertical axis through the lamp to tilt said axis relative toa horizontal axis extending transversely of the vehicle, by moving thesecond end of the axis in a plane substantially vertical and parallel tothe longitudinal axis of the vehicle, whereby the longitudinal axis ofthe beam of each headlamp is kept substantially constantly in apredetermined plane irrespective of any pitching motion of the vehicle.3. In a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the supports are furtherprovided with other supports on which each lamp can rotate in ahorizontal direction on said axis and means connecting the lamps of thesecond pair of the steering system, said connecting means serving torotate the lamps in the direction in which said steering system acts toorientate the road wheels through an angle differing from the rotationalangle of the first pair of lamps.
 4. In a vehicle according to claim 1,in which said first support of said first means include, a first balljoint mounting one lamp of said first pair of lamps at the top of saidlamp, a second ball joint mounting the other lamp of said pair of lampsat the top of said lamp, first and second control rods, a third balljoinT mounting the one lamp on the first control rod at the bottom ofthe lamp, and a fourth ball joint mounting the other lamp on the secondcontrol rod at the bottom of the lamp, said first and said secondcontrol rods being movable by said third means in the fore-and-aftdirection of the vehicle whereby to vary the orientation of the lamps.5. In a vehicle according to claim 1, which includes a second pair ofhead-lamps and in which said first means comprise a support frame meanscarrying one lamp of each pair, said frame means being pivotally mountedto the chassis of the vehicle at one end of a vertical axis through atleast one lamp, to tilt the axis of both lamps relative to said supportby moving the second end of the axis of the lamps in a planesubstantially vertical and parallel to the longitudinal axis of thevehicle, said frame means including at least one second support mountedthereon which can rotate at least one lamp.
 6. In a vertical accordingto claim 5, a spindle, both said frames being mounted to pivot aboutsaid spindle.
 7. A vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the lampsmounted to rotate in the frames are the lamps of the second pair isfixed to the corresponding frame.
 8. A vehicle according to claim 5,wherein both of said frame means are further adapted to rotate the lampssituated on the same side of the vehicle.
 9. A vehicle according toclaim 2, wherein the lamps of the second pair include double filamentbulbs.
 10. In a vehicle according to claim 1, in which said third meansinclude a torsion bar interconnecting said road wheels, and a membersecured to and extending radially from the torsion bar, said memberbeing angularly movable to actuate said third means.